In Tillie Olsen's “I stand here Ironing”,the narrator, Emily's mother, finds it difficult to explain Emily to other people. Throughout the entirety of the short story the mother often questions herself, and produces jumbled thoughts while explaining her daughter. As a reader it is hard to follow, but this is the point. She is not only trying to explain Emily to whomever she is speaking, rather she is also trying to explain Emily to herself. This is evident in how she struggles to string two sentences about Emily together without having to pause, correct herself, or re-examine her statement. Her explanations are hard to follow; they are comparable to a rough first draft of a paper. It is as if she is brainstorming all of her thoughts, and the
